CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has dismissed the petitions filed by owners of buildings, housing Tasmac outlets and bars, seeking to revoke the government’s decision to close down 500 retail liquor outlets, since they “would face losses after making huge investments to raise the infrastructure”.
Justice Krishnan Ramasamy passed the orders recently holding the court cannot interfere with the policy decision of the government in this regard. “At any cost, this court is not inclined to interfere with the policy decision of the government to close down 500 Tasmac retail shops,” he said in the order.
He also observed the petitioners, being the owners of the property, are not the right persons to challenge the policy decision that was taken in public interest.
Noting the petitions appear to be in the nature of public interest litigation but the motive is to ‘achieve their personal interest’, the judge said, however, the petitioners are at liberty to represent their grievances with the government authorities concerned who shall deal with them in accordance with the law.
The petitioners approached the court with the plea to quash the order to close down 500 retail liquor outlets saying they would incur huge loss if the shops in their buildings are closed because they have made huge investments to raise infrastructure for running the shops and bars attached to them.
They also noted the government had decided to close the shops without choosing those which are nearer to temples and educational institutions; and wanted the court to issue orders to reopen such shops that are not located closer to temples and educational institutions.
Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran, representing the state government, contended that the petitioners have no locus standi to question the decision of the government, which was taken in accordance with the guidelines, and a remedy to their grievance is not before the High Court but before the appropriate forum.